2002–03 A.C. Milan season
Encyclopedia
A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

enjoyed a successful season in 2002-03, winning the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 for the first time since 1994
UEFA Champions League 1993-94
The 1993–94 UEFA Champions League was the 39th edition of UEFA's top club football tournament, and the second since the tournament was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The competition was won by A.C. Milan, their fifth title, beating Barcelona 4–0 in the final...

, following a penalty shootout-victory against Italian rivals Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 in the final. Following a goalless draw, Milan missed one penalty compared to Juventus' couple of misses, which rendered another European title.

At home, Milan started off the league in brilliant fashion, much due to the high-profile signings of Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...

 and Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.-Early life:Nesta was raised in...

. A few other players also surpassed their earlier seasons, with Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....

 finally managing to score every other game, Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...

 perfecting the role as regista, while Dida finally was ready for Serie A goalkeeping.

The fantastic start eventually evaporated, with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 cruising to the league title, with city rivals Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

 also passing Milan before the end of the season.

Defenders

Thomas Helveg
Thomas Helveg
Thomas Lund Helveg is a former Danish professional Association football player who played as a defensive midfielder and defender for Odense Boldklub in the Danish Superliga, with whom he won the 1989 Danish championship...

 Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...

 Kakha Kaladze Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.-Early life:Nesta was raised in...

 Dario Šimić
Dario Šimic
Dario Šimić is a retired Croatian football player. Šimić was a versatile defender who played as full-back, sweeper or centre back. A product of Dinamo Zagreb Academy, he later played for Serie A sides Inter Milan and AC Milan and Ligue 1 side Monaco, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2010,...

 José Chamot Claiton
Claiton Machado dos Santos
Claiton Machado dos Santos is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian club A.S. Bari. He choose Claiton as his shirt name in 2010–11 Serie B season but Italian media often refer him as Dos Santos....

 Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen is a Danish former footballer who played in the centre back position. He played three seasons for Italian club AC Milan, with whom he won the 2003 UEFA Champions League and the 2004 Serie A championship. He also played for Italian clubs Hellas Verona and Parma FC, and was the team...

 Roque Júnior Cosmin Contra
Cosmin Contra
Cosmin Marius Contra is a retired Romanian footballer who played mainly as a right defender.Offensive-minded, he could also appear as a midfielder, and played professionally in four countries , mainly in Spain, where he appeared for three clubs, mainly Getafe CF, which he helped consolidate in the...


Midfielders

Fernando Redondo
Fernando Redondo
Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri is a retired Argentine footballer.A defensive midfielder with the ability to contribute both defensively and offensively, he played one full decade in La Liga, mainly for Real Madrid, then finished his career in Italy with Milan.Redondo was a member of the Argentine...

 Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...

 Rui Costa
Rui Costa
Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder, he most recently played for Portuguese club Benfica...

 Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...

 Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...

 Massimo Ambrosini
Massimo Ambrosini
Massimo Ambrosini is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of Serie A club Milan. He is well known for his aerial ability and tackling.- Club career :...

 Serginho
Sergio Claudio dos Santos
Sérgio Cláudio dos Santos is a former association footballer, who last played as a left winger and left back for A.C. Milan. His nickname is Il Concorde, due to his quick and tireless pace on the pitch.-Career:He played for Cruzeiro EC and Bahia, and moved to AC Milan from São Paulo FC in 1999...

 Samuele Dalla Bona
Samuele Dalla Bona
Samuele Dalla Bona , sometimes referred to as Sam Dalla Bona, is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Mantova F.C..-Chelsea:...

 Ibrahim Ba
Ibrahim Ba
Ibrahim "Ibou" Ba is a Senegalese-born professional French football player of the 1990s and 2000s whose career as a right midfielder lasted from 1991 to 2008...

 Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Lazio.-Career:Early careerStarting his career at his native club A.C. Milan youth system, he was loaned to Pro Sesto and Lumezzane in early years.Hellas Verona...

 Catilina Aubameyang
Catilina Aubameyang
Catilina Aubameyang is a Gabonese international football player who is currently playing for 105 Libreville.-Football career:...

 Leonardo

Attackers

Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...

 Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....

 Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...

 Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....

 Marco Borriello
Marco Borriello
Marco Borriello is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Roma. He has previously played for other Italian clubs, including Milan, Sampdoria, Treviso, Reggina, Empoli, Triestina, and Genoa.-Early career:...

 Alessandro Matri
Alessandro Matri
Alessandro Matri is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team.-Milan:...


Matches

Top Scorers

Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....

 17 Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...

 9 Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...

 5 Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...

 5 Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...

 4

Third qualifying round

1st Group stage

2nd Group stage

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final
2003 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan. The match made history as the...

Sources

| RSSSF - Italy 2002/03
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